(1) Field of the Invention
The invention entitled “Ear Free Eyewear Frames” was invented by an individual having some family members who wear cochlear implants and some with both single and double hearing aids. The family member who discovered the comfort of wearing eyeglasses without the customary temple and earpiece had accidentally dropped and broken one side of the frame of her glasses. She did not have a second pair and had to wear her glasses with the broken temple, just short of her outer ear, on the same side her cochlear implant was inserted. She immediately realized that the glasses were extremely comfortable and did not interfere with her hearing device. She continued to wear the glasses and decided that this was a very fortunate development in her life.
For many years, dimensions and proportionate relationships of the components of eyeglass frames was an art involving a combination of varying methods and numerical formulas. There was not a universal standard by which all frames were measured. The Optical Manufacturers Association (OMA), in 1962, determined that all eyewear frames made by their members would be measured and marked using one system, called the Boxing System of frame measurement. It is now the official standard for the eyewear industry.
However, the OMA standardization efforts dealt mainly with construction of lenses and the determination of distance between two eyeglass lenses, determined by the interpupillary distance of a patient. Eyeglass wearers can usually have prescription glasses measured to fit their specific facial contours, however, there is not a product aimed at those persons who have difficulty tolerating or accommodating the standard temple, or arm piece, including its bend and the associated earpiece. The inventive concept herein provides a solution to eyeglass wearers who need such relief, in addition to those who merely want the convenience of a special type eyeglass frame that won't interfere with Over-The-Ear (OTE) or Behind-The-Ear (BTE) devices.
(2) Description of the Related Art, Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
The inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 8,029,133 (Chen) devised a pair of eyeglasses including a frame having two endpieces and two temples each pivotally mounted on the respective endpiece of the frame. Thus, a user only needs to rotate each of the temples relative to the respective endpiece to attach each of the temples to the respective endpiece so that the eye-glasses are assembled easily and quickly.
US patent application #2010/0259718 (Oct. 14, 2010; (Hardy) discloses a frame for eyeglasses, an associated temple, and a method of making the same are provided. The temple includes a receiver, a pliable support member, and a flexible ear piece. The ear piece extends around the support member and the second end of the receiver. The flexible ear piece and the pliable support member form an integrated ear piece that is shapeable by a wearer.
In US 2008/0225225 (Umeda, H.) each of the temples of an eyeglass form includes a first and second temple portions rotatably coupled together via a second joint, an axis of the second joint coupling the first and second temple portions together is disposed on either an inner side or an outer side of a center of a width of the temple is formed between the opposing surfaces or in surfaces on an outer side of the second joint, enabling the temples to be further pushed open outward by only a small angle in a state opened due to the first joint.
KR 100864134 (Hwa, P.) discloses a spectacle frame capable of changing temples which is devised to improve coupling strength of the temples by forming insertion protrusions on the temples and insertion grooves on temple rotating units. A spectacle frame includes insertion protrusions, main bodies, and stopping members. The insertion protrusion is formed at an end of each of temples with the same thickness as the temples and has a stopping groove. The main body has an insertion groove into which the insertion protrusion is inserted and is coupled with an end of each of temple rotating units.
US 2007/0279583 (Bovee, J.) An eyeglass structure includes a lens frame and a pair of articulated temples mounted by a respective first hinge pin to one and the other side of the frame, the temples rotating relative to the pin and about a first axis towards and away from one another. The articulated temples each include forward and rearward sections having mating portions that are frictionally engaged and a second hinge pin that connects the section together for rotation about a second axis, transverse to the first axis thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,892 B2 (Curci et al.) The invention is a novel hinge assembly for eyeglasses wherein a first structural member for the hinge structure is formed in a first molding step and a second structural member of the hinge structure is formed directly over a portion of the first structural member in a second molding step. The over-molded components form a ball and socket type joint allowing a large degree of lateral rotation in one direction and a limited amount of freedom in a second direction. This hinge allows the temple portion of the eyeglasses to be folded against the brow bar and the inclination angle between the temples and the brow bar to be adjusted.
US 2006/0055875 (Yang, S.) Disclosed is a pair of eyeglasses which includes a lens unit and a pair of temples. The lens unit includes two opposite temple-connecting parts, each of which has a first engaging member that is formed with first teeth. Each of the temples is respectively pivoted to the temple-connecting parts so as to be rotatable relative to the lens unit about an axis. Each of the temples has a second engaging member that is formed with second teeth which are centered about the axis and which mesh with the first teeth. One of the first and second engaging members is resilient so as to slightly deform in radial directions relative to the axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,483 (Aug. 17, 2004; Wu, J.). features a pair of spectacles including a rim, two angle adjusting devices each mounted on the rim, and two temples each mounted on a respective angle adjusting device. Each of the angle adjusting devices includes a connecting member formed with a locking pawl, and a pivot member pivotally mounted on the connecting member and formed with locking grooves. Thus, the locking pawl of the connecting member is detachably locked in either one of the locking grooves of the pivot member, so that the included angle between the connecting member and the pivot member is changed arbitrarily so as to adjust the angle of the rim relative to the temples.
US 2003/0174277 (Conner, W.) Herein disclosed is a multiple part eyeglass frame for rimless eyeglasses manufactured from plastic having properties which withstand the constant flexing associated with eyeglasses. The present invention is especially useful in situations where a conventional temple hinge is not used. Temples of the present invention are formed of two individual pieces allowing a temple length to be adjusted. The temple pieces are fabricated, such that when joined, the resulting temple follows the normal curvature of a wearer's head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,368 (George, B.) The invention shows a spectacle temple which has an arm coupled at one end to the lens portion of said spectacles and terminating in a hook at the opposite end, where the arm has a plurality of adjustable sections, each section having at least one ball in socket connection that is rotatable in any direction. The adjustable sections correspond to the temple area of a wearer's head, the top of the ear, and the curved portion of the ear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,784 (Baines, I.) Disclosed is a spectacle frame including a nose bar, a pair of eyewires each having one side connected to the ends of the nose bar and end pieces on their other side and a pair of temples pivotally connected to the end pieces of the eyewires. The nose bar and/or the pair of temples include at least three links having inter-engaged end portions. These links are fixedly connected, although some limited articulation may be provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,482 (Blumenthal, O.) This invention provides an improvement in a spectacle frame of relatively rigid material comprising a front part and side pieces hinged thereto and having at least one flexible portion formed by a chain having elements mutually articulated and held together by a flexible inner core passing through said chain.